Doubleday's century of publishing began in 1897 when Frank Nelson Doubleday, with remarkable confidence, and a back loan of five thousand dollars, founded Doubleday & McClure Company in partnership with magazine publisher Samuel McClure. Among their first bestsellers was A Day's Work by Rudyard Kipling.

The founder's son, Nelson Doubleday, joined the firm in 1922. Doubleday merged with George H. Doran Company in 1927, making Doubleday, Doran the largest publishing concern in the English-speaking world. The business became known as Doubleday & Company in 1946. Anchor Books created by Jason Epstein in 1953, was the first line of distinguished trade paperback books in the industry. Shortly thereafter a Catholic publishing program was started by John Delaney. By 1955 the program had expanded to cover other religions, which soon led to the Image line of trade paperbacks. This program is still growing today. The Nan A. Talese imprint was formed in 1990, two years after she joined Doubleday, bringing with her a distinguished list of authors.

Doubleday was sold to Bertelsmann, AG, a Germany-based worldwide communications company in 1986. In 1988 it became part of the Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group which went on to acquire and become a division of Random House Inc. in 1998.